March 17-31, 2013

Lent was good.  Even though it didn’t go as I planned, it went as HE planned.  And, His plan is infinitely better than mine. 

In these weeks, Eric and I started teaching NFP again after a 1.5 year hiatus.  Dash competed in the State FFA Crop Judging Contest and received a silver placing.  Our county hosted their annual Family Fun Night.  Lent ended and Holy Week began. 

All the kids, except for Dash and Angelina, took the whole week of school off.  Dash used the week to catch up and Angelina just needed to finish up a couple days in Latin.  I call it our Spring Break; we needed a break!

On Friday and Saturday, we did a bit of baking.  This lamb mold was on sale after Easter last year, and it was fun to use it this year.  It was amazingly easy to bake and decorate.  Just use a large star tip and it’s covered up in no time at all.  I used a black decorating pen for the eyes, nose & mouth.

Angelina and the boys made sugar cookies and frosted them on Saturday.  Each kid had a job – Angelina is very good at organizing who does what!  She sounds like me…I’m not sure that is a good thing sometimes.

And, Marcus is mobile.  He’s not fast, but he uses his hands and his right foot to scoot around and get where he wants.  His left foot and leg are usually up in the air!  It’s too cute.

 

We didn’t dye eggs, we grow them!  The Easter Egger’s lay colorful eggs and then the last two years, I’ve just written on the eggs with food pens.  The kids decorate with stickers…and we’re done!  Colorful, cute and easy.

Angelina had a new dress for Easter; I wish I’d have taken a picture.  I was thankful that I fit into some of my favorite outfits (FINALLY). 

This year, our family attended Holy Thursday Mass, Good Friday services, and the Easter Vigil.  Every. Single. One. Of. Us.  I’m not saying that everyone stayed awake!  This being the third vigil I have attended, I finally felt like the readings made sense or clicked with me.  Probably I wasn’t able to listen the other times I’ve attended…the first I had a busy 1yo (Dash) and last year I was pregnant and kind-of miserable.  This vigil just made an impression on me…makes me want to do it all over again.

Alleluia! 

He is Risen!

Happy Easter!

The kids checked out their Easter baskets on Sunday morning.  The family headed over to Grandma & Grandpa Green Acres’ home for a wonderful dinner followed by a choice of desserts.  The kids played and watched TV while Eric and I enjoyed visiting.

Happy Easter

For the first time since my husband joined the church (back in 1998), our family attended the Easter Vigil.  Now, truth be told, we would not have chosen this if we didn’t have to travel on Sunday morning to get to our family’s Easter Celebration/Gathering.  However, I asked for prayers from friends for patience and it all turned out well.  The three youngest fell asleep, for which I am grateful!  I actually heard the readings and responsorial psalms, something I don’t remember from the first time we attended the Vigil….I think having my husband join the church just made that whole Mass a blur – either that or having an active baby who distracted me for quite a good portion.

Before we left on Sunday morning, the kids received their Easter baskets.  I completely forgot to take a group or family picture.  That’s just the kind of year is has become.  I am just going with it cuz there’s nothing else I can do!

Above: Louis

Below: Graham

Above: Zeke

Below: Angelina

Above: Dash

 

The photo above is the only ‘group’ photo I have of the kids and it’s not very good!  They are in constant motion, as you can see and were very excited to get going on the egg hunt (pics below of Louis & Dash with my brother Doug and his son).

By 9am and quite a bit of prodding, we were in the suburban and headed to Bismarck.  Uncle Eric (with the help of Grandma & Grandpa Golden Acres) hosted dinner and a bunch of games for the kids and their cousins.  They enjoyed an egg hunt, Easter basket hunt and kite flying.   There was also plenty of running, farm toys for the little boys and a few new games to try out with Grandpa.  Of course, we had a wonderful dinner – baked ham, patio potatoes, corn, a variety of other salads and sides.  Dessert, served by Uncle Eric, was Strawberries and Cream on Angel Food Cake.  After an afternoon of visiting, there was of course an evening meal…and no, it was not leftovers!  Eric and I needed more caffeine (Coke & Dr. Pepper) just to keep ourselves awake on the trip home.

Hope you had a Happy and Blessed Easter!

Cross Suckers for Easter

This was actually a lot of fun…just don’t get distracted while your crosses are in the oven, or they’ll be a big blob!

2 bags of Jolly Ranchers

1 bag sucker sticks (had them on hand)

Graham sorted them by color for us.  Please go to Catholic Icing for complete directions and better pictures…there just wasn’t time for good pics during the process…too many helpful helpers!  I think this would be a great gift for religious education students, too.

Let them cool and wrap in plastic.  Cute addition to Easter baskets or gifts for cousins on Easter Sunday.

Where was I?

Oh, yeah!  Life got a little busy and I needed a huge break!  We actually took the whole of Holy Week off from homeschooling, which should have created lots of extra time, right??  Not really.  But, that’s okay.  We cleaned each morning, then took a movie break in the early afternoons.  The kids and I enjoyed ‘The Book of Ruth’, ‘The Ten Commandments’, and an assortment of other religious themed films.

Graham and Louis came down with a nasty cold.  In fact, they still haven’t beat it.  The cough just lingers on and on.  So, I stayed home with them both on Holy Thursday.  They needed to be home and get to bed at their normal times.  The rest of the kids went to Mass with Dad.

My mom; SIL, Laura; and her three kids arrived on Friday just before we left for church.  Laura stayed at the farm with her kids, as they’d just ended 5 hours in car seats.  The rest of us attended church services at 3pm in LaMoure. 

Saturday was a day of food prep.  Mom, Laura and I worked all day to get ahead for the day and Easter Sunday.  It was fun and the day went incredibly fast.  It was a beautiful day, so the kids played outside during the morning and afternoon hours.  My niece loves to play dress-up, so the kids paraded through the kitchen with their many creative ideas (all my old dance costumes provide plenty of fodder for creativity!).  My brother, Eric and Doug (husband to Laura) and my dad arrived just in time for supper – smoked turkey!

Easter Sunday morning was a little nuts trying to get everyone ready and out the door by 8:30am, but we made it and enjoyed a beautiful Mass together.  Considering the kids had little sleep (my two were still under-the-weather and Laura’s oldest two didn’t sleep much, not to mention the moms!), they were amazingly good during Mass.  All moms can be thankful for that.  I was even allowed a few minutes of adoration before Mass began … that’s an even rarer occurrence.  Beautiful day, beautiful.  Thank you, Lord, for dying for us.

Today was great, too!  We took the day off from school.  I planted onions in the SFG’s and the kids cleaned out the barn in preparation for their hogs and sheep, which will arrive next week.  Many of the seedlings were replanted in larger pots and the kids went to TKD with their dad this evening.  No cooking today because we have a large quantity of leftovers. 

Graham and Louis are still trying to get over this darn cold, and my SIL said my nephew caught it.  I pray he gets over it quickly.

Plans for the week:

Tuesday: Start up school again.  Can I take another week off?  Yes, I could, but that would just prolong the REAL end!

Wednesday: Nothing much for the kids and I.

Thursday: TKD for the kids.

Friday: WOG for me and a girls night out with my sister.

Saturday: My fraternity’s reunion day- my sister; SIL, Anne; and my mom will also be attending.  Home to be with the kids while Eric attends his fraternity’s Spring Formal (he’s the board president).

16/52

Joining Barbara in commemorating the year in once a week posts … just whatever is going on in your life: the mundane, the crazy, the normal, the everyday.

 

My seeds are growing quite well.  Almost time to move to the next pot size.  Below are onion plants.  I’ve never purchased plants before.  They were stored in the frig for almost a week, but needed to go into soil to make room for all the extra food that needed a home in the refrigerator (in preparation for company). 

These two cousins (Louis is on the right) are just hilarious.  I’m not sure why Louis was fascinated with his cousin’s nose.  But, they’re sure cute little guys!

Dying Easter eggs with Grandpa Dave, Uncle Doug & Uncle Eric’s.

Little cousins with Oreo cookies – chocolate all over!

Easter Sunday

 

Happy Easter to all friends and family!  Grandma & Grandpa Golden Acres; my brother, Eric; and my brother, Doug, and his wife, Laura, and family stayed at our home to celebrate Easter.  Grandma & Grandpa Green Acres, and Tante Lori came to share our Easter meal on Sunday.

 

Alleluia!

 

Angelina

Zeke

The family – Louis wasn’t looking forward on either pic!

Dash

Louis, above, and Graham, below.  It was a bit windy … Louis’ hair wasn’t spiked or anything fancy!

Father’s homily on March 7, 2010

I meant to post this some time ago, but life has been a little crazy.  Real life was being lived.  Anyway, the simple, but powerful words of this homily keep entering my thoughts and pushing me toward something. 

We are always thrilled to be able to participate in the Mass at St. Mary’s.  I always learn something during the homily.  Father Wilhelm’s homily this particular Sunday – March 7, 2010 during Lent -- has really stuck with me.  The points he made kept popping into my head throughout the following week, and have kept at me.  (But do you think they could all pop into my head at one time to share with you???  NO!  So, this post has been written over a few days…and now months.)  Even though it’s the Easter season, his points are still relevant.  I should still be trying to accomplish these suggestions.

1. Pray.  If you aren’t at a different place in your spiritual life than you were two years ago, you need to do something different.  Yes, there are times of darkness … a week, a month, sometimes a year or more, but don’t give up on prayer.

2. Make an ACT.  At the time of his homily, Father meant an act of sacrifice or giving for Lent.  But, why not try to do this every day.  I can do a small sacrifice or give something of myself each day.  It doesn’t have to be much … maybe taking the time to read a book to Graham or making Zeke an egg-in-the-hole for breakfast when I’d rather make one for myself instead.

3. Attend Mass outside of Sunday at least once each week.  This one is particularly hard for me … with five kids … every week.  Part of it is the 20 min. drive to church, the other is the time (and sometimes location) of daily mass.  I know, excuses, excuses.  What are we here on earth for?? … yes, yes, I get that.  I’m praying for my answer/solution to be made clear.

Anyway, I don’t want to forget to try.

Happy Easter! – Easter Sunday

Alleluia!  He is risen…

This beautiful Easter tree was given to us a house-warming gift by my husband’s Aunt & Uncle a week or two ago.  It’s beautiful and was the centerpiece for our Easter table.  A few close-ups follow.  


 
I know some choose not to eat before Sunday Mass, but I need to eat or risk being faint.  So, breakfast was served at 7am on Sunday morning.  The menu included fresh fruit, COFFEE & Chai Tea, Spicy Sausage Quiche, and Hash Brown & Ham Quiche (a favorite from last year).

All 16 adults and children had eaten by 8am and were dressed and headed out to the vehicles by 8:30am.  I was impressed!  Mass was at 9am and a 20 min. drive from the farm.  In small rural towns, it’s possible to arrive only 15 min. early and still ensure the ability to park VERY close, have time to get the kids to the bathroom, and find space for everyone to sit within the space of two rows, too.

Our second Easter Mass at the small country church was easier – and more joy-filled … the presence of family and a deeper sense of thankfulness.  Baby Louis was hungry/fussy, so he and I spent most of the Mass in the cry room.  But, I joined my SIL, Laura, and her son, so we weren’t alone!  It felt so good to sing the Alleluia.

This year, for the first time, I remembered and had time to  put a little plate of goodies together for our priest.  Angelina was in charge of the delivery.

Upon returning to the farm, we enjoyed watching the kids search for their Easter goodies.  Too muddy to have an Easter egg hunt this year – and the eggs would be hard to hide in the mud! – so, clues were given to each child which lead them to three or four small gifts (books, coloring books, rosaries, and kites or bubbles).

  Uncle Pat & Aunt Anna with Louis (above) and Uncle Eric (below).

  This is my 3yo God-daughter.  She’s a ball of energy and a little bounce of joy wherever she goes. 


 

My SIL, Laura, with her children.

 
Uncle Eric and Graham (above) using the clues to find Graham’s Easter gifts and my brother, Doug, (below) helping his daughter in her search

 
Graham, above, with his kite – an Easter gift tradition in my family and Grandma Golden Acres with Leo, below.


 I forgot to take an Easter pic of ‘just’ my kids.  OOOPS!  Maybe after Divine Mercy Sunday Mass??  Anyway, above are all kids present at the farm for Easter. 

We have three April birthdays among members on my side of the family; we usually try to celebrate them on Easter weekend.  So, Grandpa Dave, Uncle Pat & Dash opened a few birthday presents, too.  Here are the three birthday guys – pictured below!
  SOMEONE was a little tired after all the action!  She’s so darn adorable.

 
Graham became attached to this sword after playing with it at a friends.  I ordered it for him, he will be paying for a portion, and I asked if he could wait until Easter to ‘get’ it.  He agreed.  So, after everyone left, I let him open this special toy.  It was a big deal to this 3yo.

My MIL cut a few forsythia branches for me on Friday.  I wasn’t sure they’d bloom, but Sunday morning, two flowers had popped.  That evening, this is what the the branches looked like.  Beautiful and sunny.
  
My mom offered to stay and help us on Monday (today).  Everyone else left for home between 3 and 4pm.  Eric left at 4pm for a wake/prayer service in Fargo.  My mom and I put our feet up and visited for the rest of the afternoon/evening.